We had vivid imaginations as children. As an adult, have you lost some of that child-like ability to imagine the future?
Is the ability to dream big a valuable goal setting / achieving skill or an unrealistic time waster?
When it comes to setting and achieving goals, I often see coaching clients divided into two groups – the dreamers and the realists. The dreamers are reaching for the stars and the realists are going for the sure thing. Which is the best approach for setting and achieving goals? In my opinion it is a combination of both.
Here’s what I believe:
The Dreamers: It is an asset to be able to focus on the future. To vividly see what you want and to picture how you’re going to achieve it. Sometimes though, the dreamers don’t realize their limitations. On the positive side, the dreamers are excellent at creating goal achieving affirmations and visualizations.
The Realists: They know their strength and weaknesses. They have a firm grasp on what works and what doesn’t work. Often though, they will stop themselves from coming out of their preconceived comfort zone. The realist is excellent at mapping out step-by-step and day-by-day plans for achieving their goals.
The Realistic Dreamer: They have a down to earth ability to dream big and bold. The realistic dreamer knows how to set goals that stretch beyond their current comfort zone and yet, they don’t find themselves getting discouraged with frustrating and unworkable expectations.
Here are a few examples:
The Dreamer: A five-foot five adult person whose goal is to stretch and become a six feet seven professional basketball player is unrealistic. A more realistic goal may be to play basketball for fun and also spend time coaching others who love the game.
The Realist: The middle-aged mother who wants to go back to school but is sure that she has lost her edge. She’s been out of school for many years and refuses to enrol in college classes. A more realistic approach would be to take one class at the local community college or an adult education course to help her feel more comfortable learning and growing within a structured environment.
The Realistic Dreamer: The woman in business who decides to expand her business into a foreign country although she has never been outside of the United Kingdom. She develops a business plan and then seeks out a mentor or coach who is knowledgeable in foreign commerce. This entrepreneur reads, learns and begins growing toward her dream one positive step at a time.
A realistic dreamer does not allow uncertainty or insecurity to stop them from setting goals. They do though; realize that coming out of a comfort zone means seeking out advice, help and support.
Becoming a realistic dreamer is about knowing what you want to achieve, why you want to achieve it and being able to map out a viable and doable plan of action. Combining the child-like ability to dream with a realistic assessment of what can be done is a powerful and extremely valuable goal achieving skill.

A whopping 51 percent of consumers said they are more likely to buy a product after liking the brand on Facebook, according to a new study by marketing firm Constant Contact and research company, Chadwick Martin Bailey.

Read the full article HERE:

CHANGE:

I thought it might be interesting to tackle the subject of change and why it is difficult to change. Sometimes we welcome change into our lives, but other times we resist and run the opposite direction. Even if we know we need to make a change, it’s certainly easier and takes less effort to stay the same. One of the most important things to realize is that sometimes when we avoid making the changes we want; eventually another person – or life – will make them for us.

It is far more beneficial to create the changes we want, rather than just waiting for something to happen. Like I said, this process is not always easy, but it’s definitely a necessary one to embrace. Exploring why it is difficult to change is a good first step. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why change is so hard in the first place:

We are creatures of habit: For the most part, people need a sense of order and routine. Without these things there tends to be feelings of confusion and discomfort. On some level, making a change causes a temporary sense of chaos, so it might make you think that you should go back to the way things were, even if you were miserable. Many people start to make changes and then get into a cycle of fear and worry, and avoid what needs to be done. In the end, the hardest part about changing isn’t necessarily the change itself, but the anticipation.

It’s easier to stay the same than to change: Doing the same thing over and over usually produces the same results, and whether you’re happy with those results or not, it’s simply easier just to stay the same. However, sometimes you realize you’ve had enough and it’s time to shake things up. You might find you’re suffering more than thriving if a change badly needs to be made, and it’s irrational to think that things will magically transform without some effort. So, even though it can be unnerving, making the decision to change and jumping in with both feet is a celebration in itself.

We’re operating on autopilot: This is another reason why it is difficult to change. Now, it’s not necessary a bad thing to be on autopilot, but it means that you might not notice when a change needs to happen. Many people tend to do things a same way without questioning their actions too much. It’s only when patterns are acknowledged and broken that a change can arise.

Change takes effort: Sure, it’s easy enough to set goals and get pumped up for a while, but if you don’t put in the honest effort, the changes you want will elude you. Putting in effort means taking small steps every day toward the changes you want to make in life-such as signing up for classes or seminars, doing action-oriented activities, and those big or small steps that lead to achieving goals. In the change process, you have to keep yourself motivated, moving forward, and aware of where you are now and where you want to go.

Fear of the unknown: Changing brings up feelings of vulnerability and the uncertainty that you’re exploring unknown territory and there is no guarantee how things will turn out. For some people, this part is exciting and invigorating, but others tend to dislike the unknown and prefer the predictable. In the end, diving into the unknown is usually where some of the greatest growth and feelings of accomplishment can happen.

So, go for it!

The former Formula One boss revealed he is taking legal action against Google during his testimony before the Leveson inquiry at London’s royal courts of justice on Thursday.

Mosley is battling to remove from the internet false and libellous references to an alleged “Nazi-themed” orgy and a News of the World video. He told the inquiry he had taken legal action in 22 countries and ordered the removal of material from 193 websites in Germany.

“The fundamental thing is that Google could stop this appearing but they don’t or won’t as a matter of principle,” he told the inquiry. “The really dangerous things are the search engines.”

Read the full story here

The firm’s chief executive, Sam Weihagen, told customers that the company, which is more than 170 years old, remains a “safe pair of hands”, and predicted it would exist for another 170 years after the firm received financial help.

Read the full story HERE